A short-lived but recurring style of music from the post-WWII years, exotica was popularized by Martin Denny with his 1957 LP Exotica, released at the peak of America's mid-century infatuation with Hawaii and all things tropical. Mixing lounge-y instrumentals with birdcalls and vaguely Polynesian rhythms, exotica is the musical complement to the tiki craze, which began during the '50s but made a brief reappearance in the '90s, leaving in its wake hipster-tiki bars with menus full of fruity, umbrella-laden cocktails and a clientele overly infatuated with the Hawaiian shirt.

Notable Artists: Martin Denny, Robert Mitchum, Esquivel, Les Baxter